Rail fastener assembly



'A. D. VAN SANT RAIL FASTENER ASSEMBLY Jan. 9', 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 22, 1965 INVENTOR muknvw sm 5 ATTORNEY Jan. 9, 1968 A.D VAN SANT 3,362,639

RAIL FASTENER ASSEMBLY Filed 001;. 22, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 AJLAAAAAAAAAA 4: INVENTOR,

, I ARTHUR D. VAN SANT ATTORNEY A. D. VAN SANT RAIL FASTENER ASSEMBLY Jan. 9, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Odt. 22, 1965 INVENT OR T w m J U H m 1968 A. D. VAN SANT 3,362,639

RAIL FASTENER ASSEMBLY 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 22. 1965 v INVENTOR ARTHUR D. VAN SANT ATTORNEY United States Patent f 3,362,639 RAIL FASTENER ASSEMBLY Arthur D. Van Sant, Lansing, Ill., assignor to Poor & Company, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 22, 15965, Ser. No. 501,004 7 Claims. (Cl. 238-449) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A fastening member for securing rails to a cross tie comprising a spring clip having a compression arch and a rail flange engaging end and including an intermediate rib provided with a depending rail side edge engaging portion. Tightening of a pressure block disposed above the clip flexes the arch and rib to embrace the rail and inhibit both longitudinal and lateral displacement thereof.

This invention relates to an improvement in devices familiarly known in the railway art as spring clips for holding rail bases to the ties.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a novel rail flange engaging spring clip and an adapter block for use therewith which will effectively resist both creeping and lateral movement of the rail which tends to occur under wheel loading. The clip proper is not only provided with means for effecting initial transverse adjustment with respect to the rail flange, but, when assembled with a bolt and the adapter block and upon application of the force of clamping means such as a nut, each clip will exert a holding force in the range of 3000 to 4000 lbs. on the upper surface of the related rail base flange, and, also, each clip will exert pressures in the range of 2000 to 3000 lbs. directly on the related vertical edge portion of the rail to prevent creeping.

Thus, since the clips will hold the rails to gauge, they serve a multiple capacity, namely to exert ample clamping force on the top of the rail flange, to accommodate wave motion in the rail; prevent creeping; and also maintain gauge requirements as wear occurs between the related parts.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel deformable adapter or pressure block for the clip. This block may be made of metal such as lead but is preferably made of a suitable shock absorbing, compressible plastic. The block has an opening to receive the shank of the bolt and is provided on its track side with a profile enabling it to bear on a portion of the spring clip adjacent the rail flange while its arcuate bottom portion also has a profile to engage with the medial compression arch of the clip to transmit and distribute pressure from the tightened nut. This arrangement provides the necessary continuing resiliency to yieldingly engage the base flange of the rail during normal service life.

In that connection, another feature of the block resides in providing the bottom of the block with a depending guide post for effecting quick assembly of the block in relation to the clip. That is to say, since the opening in the clip is longitudinally elongated and arcuate at each end, said guide post not only has an internal arcuate side for matching the circumference of the bolt, but also has a transversely curved outer portion to mate with the field side are of the slot in the clip. This arrangement prevents twisting of the block upon initial rotation of the nut on the bolt.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clip and a related assembly whose parts may be readily manufactured to meet standard track procedures preparatory to emplacement in a concrete tie. When used in this environment, the basic assembly comprises a spring clip, a pressure adapter block, a bolt, a nut, a washer, and a 3,362,639 Patented Jan. 9, 1968 well member which serves as an anchoring ground for the bolt. The well member, which may be of various types, is embedded in the concrete tie at the time the tie is made and becomes a permanent part thereof. Its basic function is to provide a receiving means for a speciallyshaped bolt which may be of any one of several forms, basically, a T-head bolt or an L-head bolt. The upper end of a typical bolt is threaded and its opposite lower end has at least one angularly disposed anchoring head which may be readily inserted into the well by the installing crews merely by inserting the lower angular end into the open mouth of the well member and rotating the bolt angularly until it engages a horizontal shoulder adjacent the bottom of the well. The aforesaid shoulder constitutes an abutment to resist upward movement of the bolt due to the force of tightening a nut and washer applied to the upper threaded end of the bolt which, in cooperation with the pressure block, clamps the spring clip in place. Thus, the present invention provides in effect a four-part assembly; the well being premolded in the concrete, while the fastenings proper, namely, the bolt with nut and washer, the spring clip, and the pressure adapter block are supplied to the trackside at the point of installation. It is understood that the assembly is ordinarily installed in pairs, that is, one assembly on both the field side and track or gauge side of the rail.

With the above and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel combination, construction, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates the rail fastener assembly in position prior to tightening of the nut, portions of a rail, concrete tie and tie pad being shown in section;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 but showing the position of the related parts of the rail fastener assembly after the nut has been tightened;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the rail fastener assembly and related elements shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the pressure block;

FIGURE 5 is a side elevation of one form of bolt which may be used in the rail fastener assembly;

FIGURE 6 is a top plan view of the spring clip shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of the clip shown in FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 with the assembly in its tightened position and illustrating diagrammatically the dynamic reaction of forces through the fastening.

FIGURE 9 is a vertical section of one form of well member adapted to receive an L-shaped bolt;

FIGURES l0 and 11 illustrate another embodiment of a well member and bolt respectively, FIGURE 10 showing a bolt having a T-shaped head about to be inserted into the well, and FIGURE 11 showing the bolt in position and rotated to engage with the shoulders of the well.

FIGURES 12 and 13 illustrate a still further embodiment of a well member particularly adapted to receive a bolt such as shown in FIGURES l0 and 11.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, it will be observed that the concrete tie designated generally as T is provided with a transverse recessed rail seating portion S on its upper face which not only includes the area of the base of the rail, but, is also elongated to provide a clearance area for the bolt and clip assembly at either side of the rail. The base of the rail R is seated upon a suitable pad P within the recessed portion of the upper surface of the tie.

As usual, the base of the rail includes flanges each having an upper inclined surface F, a vertical edge portion F and a bottom face F During the course of manufacture of the tie T, a hollow anchor or well element W, typically shown in FIGS. 13 in dotted lines and in FIG. 9 in vertical section, is embedded in the wet concrete. This well includes a vertical tubular throat portion W of a width sufficient to receive the offset head or shoulder at one end of the bolt B, while its angular laterally oflset hollow bottom portion W provides space for turning the shank of the L-shaped bolt B (FIGS. 1 and through an angle of 90 to enable its offset portion B to engage with the inside horizontal face of the well, which of course is firmly held in the concrete.

The spring steel clip C has a medial portion provided with a longitudinally elongated slot or opening 1, the inner or track end of which receives the upper portion of the bolt shank substantially at the location of the dotted line X in FIG. 6, while the other end of the hole receives the depending post of the pressure block D in the area Y, as will presently be described.

The outer or field side of the clip C is provided with an upturned end or hook portion 2 which abuts the side wall T of the recessed area of the tie and terminates in an arcuate bottom 3 bearing on the upper surface of the aforementioned recessed area. The hook 2 of the clip may be slightly modified as indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 7 so as to more effectively function in the desired manner when used with concrete ties having a groove or depression below the surface S of the tie and adjacent wall T thereof.

The opposite inner or track side edge of the clip C is provided with an upwardly arched clamping rib 4 having a flat rail flange engaging portion 5 which bears on the top of the rail flange F. The inner end of the rib 4 is connected to a primary compression arch 6 at a junction point designated generally as 7. Force imposed on this arch 6 is responsible for proper functioning of the clip.

An important feature of the clip is that, not only does the rail flange engaging end 5 exert downward pressure of considerable magnitude on the upper surface of the rail flange F, but also the inner junction 7 of the rib 4 with the compression arch 6 provides, on its bottom face, a positive rail flange edge engaging stop 8 which bears against the edge F of the rail to hold it to gauge and resist creeping.

Tests have indicated that under loading, the dynamic reaction of 7500 lbs. lateral thrust of rail through the clip C in the assembly previously described is as follows: When load is applied in the area of stop 8 as indi cated by arrows in FIGURE 8 a reaction is caused at the outer end 2 of the clip where it abuts wall T The counter-rotation of the clip at this point causes the clip to apply greater pressure at b under dynamic loading. The load applied in the direction of the arrows previously referred to is resolved into two component reactions at c and d, namely the horizontal component of shear d acting against the friction at e or against wall T and the vertical component of tension c which tends to push the clip upward against the underside of the washer and nut. The horizontal thrust is greater than the vertical thrust and the arrangement produces a unique reaction which divides disturbing reactions into the tie. At these points, each clip C exerts substantially 2000 to 3000 lbs. of pressure on the related edges F of the rail flange at stop 8 while the relatively flat end portion 5 of each clip exerts forces of the magnitude of 3000 to 4000 lbs. on the upper surface of the related rail flange F. The rib 4 of the clip also serves as an overdrive feature in the event of excessive torquing of the fastening.

To obtain the above pressures, the pressure block D includes a body portion D having an upper surface provided with an opening 9 for receiving the shank of the bolt B for example, and a washer G and the usual nut N on its exposed threaded portion.

The bottom surface 10 of the block is curved on an arc of greater radius than the radius of the compression arch 6 of the clip. Also, the inner rail flange facing edge 11 of the block is formed on an arc of greater radius than the radius of the related arc of the rib 4 of the clip C.

Under the clamping force of the nut N, the clip C is yieldingly depressed by the pressure block D so that the bottom face of the inner edge portion 5 of the clip exerts downward pressure on the rail flange F while the stop 8 of the clip engages the upper portion of the vertical face F of the rail base as shown in FIGURES 2 and 8.

To facilitate the placing of the pressure block D on the bolt B, its bottom portion is provided with a depending post 12, the field side of which has an outer surface formed on an are substantially equal to the arc of the outer end of the slot 1 in the body of the clip. The inner side of the post 12 is provided with a transversely arcuate groove formed on a radius substantially on the order of the complementary shank portion of the bolt B.

Accordingly, it will be understood that when the clip C is initially installed on the bolt, the pressure block D will then be slipped over the threaded end of the bolt, and the post 12 will serve as a key to not only guide the block into position, but, also, its edges will cooperate with the edges of the slot to prevent initial angular movement between the block and the bolt when the nut is first applied and tightened.

The combination of the block D with the cli C as heretofore described, takes advantage of lateral force transmitted to stop 8 of the clip due to loading of the rail, by converting such force into hold-down force on the rail flange at the point Where end 5 of the clip engages the flange F.

FIGURES 10 and 11 illustrate an alternate embodiment of a bolt and well structure wherein the bolt head H is T- shaped as is the throat portion 20 of the well 21. The bottom portion 22 of the well is wider than the throat 20 so as to provide a pair of shoulders 23, 24 which will provide abutment surfaces for the bolt head H when the bolt is rotated after it has been fully inserted into the well.

FIGURES l2 and 13 show a further embodiment of a well structure which is particularly adapted to receive a bolt with a T-shaped head. In this embodiment, the throat portion 25 of the well 26 is rectangular in shape whereas the bottom portion is provided with a pair of oppositely disposed, laterally offset chambers or compartments 27, 28. These compartments do not extend co-extensive with the related sidewall of the well throughout the length thereof but are shorter than the length of the related sidewall 50 as to provide abutment surfaces 29, 30 against which head H of the bolt will engage when the bolt is rotated 90 in a clockwise direction as indicated by the arrow in FIGURE 13. With the bolt head so disposed, the bolt is positively held against rotation when the nut is applied and tightened.

The clip C and block D may be advantageously used in situations where a bolt member is actually cast into the concrete tie and has its upper threaded end projecting above the upper surface of the tie. In this case, the necessity for having a well such as those illustrated in FIGS. 9- 13 would be eliminated. Also the clip and block may be used in situations where a bolt receiving sleeve is embedded in the tie, or where an expandable type anchor bolt is fixed in the tie.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, but that the means of construction herein disclosed comprise the preferred form of several modes of putting the invention into effect, and the invention will therefore be understood in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A rail fastening for use in combination with a railway rail and a cross tie, comprising,

a resilient clip including a body having an opening to receive a bolt, a relatively flat rail flange engaging end and a tie engaging end,

a compression arch in the zone of said opening,

an upwardly directed rib intermediate said arch and said flat rail flange engaging end of the clip,

a portion of the lower surface of said rib extending downwardly towards said arch and disposed opposite a related side edge of a rail flange when the clip is unflexed,

a pressure distributing member on the upper surface of said clip adapted to engage said arch and said rib and having an opening through which the bolt passes,

whereby upon flexing of said clip in the area of said compression arch and rib when pressure is applied to said pressure distributing member by tightening of the bolt, downward compressive force is directed to the rail flange by the flat end of the clip in engagement therewith and lateral force is directed to the side edge of the rail flange by the engagement of the clownwardly extending portion of the rib thereagainst to prevent creeping and lateral displacement of the rail and distribute reactive forces resulting from loading of the rail into the tie.

2. A rail fastening according to claim 1, wherein the pressure distributing member is made of deformable material.

3. A rail fastening according to claim 2, wherein the bolt receiving opening in the clip body is elongated in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the clip and has arcuate end portions, and the pressure distributing block has a depending post partially embracing said bolt and on the field side thereof and also entering the opening in the clip.

4. A rail fastening for use in combination with a railway rail and cross tie, said rail having a base flange and. a related side edge, comprising, in combination,

a spring metal clip including a body having a bolt receiving opening,

a relatively flat rail engaging portion at one end of said body for directly bearing on the upper face of the related rail flange and an upwardly directed rib contiguous to said flat rail engaging portion,

an upturned hook portion at the other end of said body,

said hook portion abutting means on said tie precluding displacement of said clip towards the field side of said tie,

a compression arch in the Zone of the opening inter mediate said hook portion and said upwardly directed rib,

a depending rail flange side edge engaging portion connected on the gauge side of the clip to said rib and on the field side to said arch,

a bolt for entering said opening,

and a pressure distributing block mounted on the up per surface of said compression arch and also having a bolt receiving opening and a lateral profile to engage said rib and a bottom profile to engage said compression arch, whereby, upon downward compression of said clip, said hook portion laterally engages said tie abutting means, said depending side edge engaging portion laterally abuts the related side edge of the rail flange and said flat rail engaging portion downwardly abuts the base flange of the rail.

5. A clip assembly for fastening a railway rail to a cross tie to prevent creeping and lateral displacement of the rail, comprising,

a clip body having an arched central portion with a fastener receiving opening therein,

a tie engaging end and a rail flange engaging end,

a rib between the rail flange engaging end of the clip and said arched central portion,

a compressible pressure distributing member having a fastener receiving opening therein and an undersurface overlying the upper surface of said clip body rib and arched central portion whereby the bolt receiving opening in said body and the bolt receiving opening in said member are aligned,

said undersurface of said member juxtaposed said arched central portion and said rib having radii of curvature greater than the respective radii of curvature of the underlying surfaces of said central arched portion and rib,

whereby when downward pressure is applied to said clip body and said member by application of a'fastener therethrough, the member is compressed, the clip body is flexed and the under surface of said rib is brought into engagement with the side edge of said rail flange, so that when wheel load is applied to said rail the resulting reactive forces are distributed by said member into said tie.

6. In a rail fastener assembly for use with concrete ties having a fastener receiving socket members embedded therein and including a spring clip having a centrally disposed bolt receiving opening, a rail flange engaging end and a tie engaging end, said socket comprising an open mouth flush with the upper surface of the tie, a throat portion extending downwardly from the mouth and terminating in a bottom portion of greater width than said throat and having a chamber offset from the vertical axis of said throat so as to provide an abutment shoulder for engagement with the head of a bolt when a bolt is inserted therein and rotated.

7. A fastener receiving socket according to claim 6, wherein the bottom portion of said socket member is provided with a pair of chambers on opposite sides of and offset from the vertical axis of said throat, said chambers so disposed relative to each other so as to permit rotation of said bolt in one direction only.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,446,857 8/1948 Snyder 238-349 2,502,281 3/1950 Sann 238-349 2,530,547 11/1950 Snyder 238349 FOREIGN PATENTS 869,666 6/ 1961 Great Britain.

ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner. R. A, BERTSCH, Assistant Examiner. 

